High-speed grouping conveyor

ABSTRACT

A high-speed grouping conveyor having a plurality of workholders movable sequentially through a treating area at a slow speed and at a higher speed through the remainder of the travel path including a flexible element connecting each adjacent pair of workholders to form an endless chain or the like and each element being of a length to form a maximum spacing distance between adjacent workholders, the workholders are advanced by mechanism at a relatively high speed with maximum spacing between the workholders in the portions of the travel path outside the treating area and drive means within the treating area engage each of the workholders to maintain uniform spacing therebetween at a lesser distance apart to provide grouping in the treating area as permitted by the flexible element connecting the workholders and with advance of the workholders at the slow speed for the desired treatment interval.

United States Patent Inventor Fred I. Johnson 36) Mnntrnse Ave., l llmhurst, Ill. 60126 a Appl. Nu. 873,87) l'ilt-d v Nov. 4, I96) Patented Aug. l7, I97l HIGH-SPEED GROUPING CONVEYOR 3,327,833- 6/1967 .lungneretal.

Primary ExaminerEvon C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-H. S. Lane Almmey-Hofgren, Wegner, Allen, Stellman & McCord ABSTRACT: A high'speed grouping conveyor having a plurality of workholders movable sequentially through a treating area at a slow speed and at a higher speed through the remainder of the travel path including a flexible element connecting each adjacent pair of workholders to form an endless chain or the like and each element being of a length to form a maximum spacing distance between adjacent workholders, the workholders are advanced by mechanism at a relatively high speed with maximum 'spacing between the workholders in the portions of the travel path outside the treating area and drive means within the treating area engage each of the workholders to maintain uniform spacing therebetween at a lesser distance apart to provide grouping in vthe treating area as permitted by the flexible element connecting the workholders and with advance of the workholders at the slow speed for the desired treatment interval.

PATENTEU M181 7 I971 SHEET 1 BF 3 PATENTED AUG] 7 ISH SHEET 3 [IF 3 uteri-semi) onourmo conveyor: K BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention pertains to high-speed, grouping. conveyors wherein workholders cantravelat a'high speedthrough the portion of their path of. travel outside a treating area and then may travel inclosely spaced relation at a slow speed through .a treating areato-givea predeterrnined' 'interval of time in the treatment area to 'a' maxirnum number of articles in a minimum space.

My prior U.S.Rat. No. 3,346,096 discloses-a grouping conveyor wherein a series of work-supports can travel at maximum spacing outside a treating area :and then are closely grouped within ,a treating area, with .the advance of the work supports through the treating area 'being caused by abutment of one work support against the other. Such aconstruction had no provision for maintaining uniform minimum spacing between adjacent work supports or work'holders and relied upon abutment of one work supportagainstthe other. :In many applications, this is not satisfactory wherein spacing must be maintained and this problem .has been solved 'by the invention disclosed herein wherein means in the treating areaengage each of the workholders to maintain a minimum spacing therebetween and advance the workholders ata slow rate 7 through the treating area.

SUMMARY An object of thisinvention is to provide a new and improved high-speed grouping conveyor wherein the series of workholhigher speed through the remainder of the travel path com prising, a flexible element connecting each adjacent pair of workholdersto form an endless chain or the like andeach element being of a length to form a maximum spacing distance between adjacent work-holders, means for. advancing said endless chainat arelatively high speedwith maximum spacing distance between the workholders outside the treating area and driven means within the treating area engageable'with each workholder in the treating area to maintain uniform spacing therebetween at aminimum spacing which is less than said maximum spacing with the flexible elements loopingthe'rebetween and-further to advance said work holders atsaid slow speed for the desired time of treatment;

Stillanotherobject of the invention: is to provide a highspeed groupingconveyor, as defined in the preceding paragraph, wherein-:the:transition of the workholders between the high andlow speedsof travel is positively controlled at the entry andexitends of :the treatment area.

An additional object of the invention isto provide a highspeed grouping, conveyor-,as defined. in the preceding. paragraphs, wherein the workholders: eachv comprise: a series of hangers with vertically spaced work supports for carrying. a-

pluralityv ofarticles. into thetreating area and 1 wherein the workholders. may optionally compriselaterally spaced series of said hangers. with the.-hangersdependingfrom amountingv bar havingmeansat its endsfor,engagingz support on tracks disposed in the-treatingarea.

emenoesclueriouos THE-DRAWINGS FIG. l.:-is a frontelevational .view ofrthe'high-speed 'groupingconveyonshown in association-witha hot-'aindrying system for articles supported by thesworlcholders;

FIG. 2 :is a vertical section on an enlarged scale, taknl generally along the line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

holders relative to the treatment area; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary verticalsection takengenerally E along the line'4-in FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A high-speed grouping conveyor is shown generally in'FlG. 1 in association'with a hot-air dryer for articles carriedby the grouping conveyor wherein a treating area is generally defined by wall panels 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14, shown inFlG. l, and side panelslS and 16, shown in FIG. 2. Disposed within the lower part of the treating area within the chamber is a gas burner, indicated generally at 20, and a blower unit, indicated generally at 21, which circulates air in the path, shown by the arrows in FIGS. =1 and 2, whereby heated air is directed onto articles positioned within the treating area. The heated air exits from the blower unit 21 and moves upwardly within a chamber definedby vertical walls 22 and 23 having series of vertically spaced orifices 24 and 24a, respectively, which emit the heated air against the articles carried by the grouping conveyor. The air can retum downwardly to the blower unit in the manner indicated by the arrows.

The grouping conveyor embodies a series of work holders 25, each interconnected by laterally spaced lengths of a flexible element, such as a chain length 26. In effect, the grouping conveyor'has the series of workholders ZS'interconnected by an endless chain with the chain length26- defining a maximum spacing between adjacent work'holders in the travel of the grouping conveyor outside the treatment area, as shown 'in FIG. 1. Inside the treatment area, as shown particularly in FIG. 3, the length of chain 26, which is pivotally connected to the workholders, is free to hang in a depending loop as permitted by the close spacing between adjacent-workholders 25 in the treating area. Referring particularly to FIG; 3, the workholder. designated 25a is moving along a vertical'stretch of the grouping conveyor having just entered the treating area while the workholder 25b has moved into the closely spaced section of the grouping conveyor, with the interconnecting length of chain 26a extending therebetween. The work holders 25b and Each of the'workholders is formed of :a mounting bar having" sections 30 and .31, as shown particularly in FIG. 2", which are interconnected by a U-shaped hanger 32having-downwardly depending hanger sections 33 and 3'4 whic'h carry aseries' of" vertically spaced work support pins'35. Each of the mounting bar sections 30 and 31 adjustably mount an "outboard 'li'ang'er" member 36 and .37, .respectively, havingrworlr supportpinsifi whereby a series-of articles, such as cansC', can be supported on'the workholder pins for travel through the treating: area. Each of the mounting bar sections 30and3l"- carries a roller,

as indicated atAII-and 41", respectively, which can roll on spaced-apart tracks42and 43', respectively, forsupport of the workholders inthe treating area. The chain lengths 26', previously-described, areconnected between the'mou nting bar sections 30 of'th'e workholders while, asshown'in FIG 2,-chain" lengths45corresponding-to chain lengths26 connectbetween mounting b'ar sections 3l.

The adjustable spacing'ofthe outboard hangers is shown particularly in' FIG. 4 wh'erein the outboard hanger 36 i shown in full line at a maximum distance from the hanger member 33 and is shown in broken line in an inwardly adjusted position which is closer to the hanger member 33 and which permits support of a shorter article as indicated in broken line at CC in FIG. 4.

The chains 26 and 45, when fully extended to define the maximum spacing between the workholders 25, are driven at a high speed by a pair of laterally spaced elevator chains 50 and 51 which pass about upper and lower sprockets with the lower sprocket 52 and upper sprocket 53 for the elevator chain 50 being shown in FIG. 1. One of the sprockets for elevator chain 51 is shown at 54 in FIG. 2. Each of the elevator chains carries a series of spaced elevator dogs with a lift dog 55, as shown in FIG. 3, engaging the mounting bar section 30 and carrying the work holder at a fast rate along a generally vertically extending stretch of the grouping conveyor travel path outside and entering into the treating area. A lift dog 55, as it travels around the sprocket 53, is at an elevation above a curved entry end of the track 42 whereby the workholder b is carried over onto the track, as shown in FIG. 3. The elevating chain 51 has correspondingly spaced lift dogs which coact with the mounting bar section 31. Since the lengths of chain 26 and 45 are taut between following workholders 25, all of the work holders beyond the exit end of the treating area are caused to travel at the high speed as set by the elevating chains 50 and 51. A pair of idler sprockets, one of which is shown at 60 in FIG. 1, define a lower corner in the path of travel of the grouping conveyor outside the treating area. A second pair of sprockets (not shown) on a shaft 61 (FIG. 1) mounting the lower sprockets for the elevator chains 50 and 51 define another lower corner in the path of travel of the grouping conveyor. The shaft 61 is connected to a suitable drive source (not shown).

As a workholder 25 is being elevated into the treating area along the generally vertical stretch leading to the treating area, articles can be located on each of the work supports defined by the fingers 35 and 38, as shown generally at 65 in FIG. 1 wherein a backup plate 66 limits the movement of successive articles into a work support. At the exit end of the treating area, the articles can be unloaded off successive work supports travelling downwardly, as shown at the right-hand end of FIG. 1, wherein a pushoff plate 67 pushes successive articles off the work supports.

Advancing means within the treating area cause advance of the work supports 25 at a slow rate of travel and at a uniform minimum spacing. Thisadvancing means comprises a pair of laterally spaced chains 70 and 71, with the chain 70 being shown in FIG. 3, and passing about sprockets 75 and 76 at opposite ends of the treating area. The chain 71 passes about corresponding sprockets with a sprocket 77 being connected to sprocket 75 by a shaft 78 and a sprocket, similar to sprocket 76, being connected thereto and associated with chain 71 by a shaft 79. The sprocket shaft 78 is driven at a rate substantially less than the drive for the elevating conveyor chains 50, 51 by a drive takeoff from the shaft 80 supporting sprockets 53 and 54 and with the diameter ratio selected to give the reduced rate of rotation of the sprockets 75 and 77. A drive chain connection is indicated at 85.

The chains 70 and 71 each carry a series of uniformly spaced-apart pusher dogs, with the dogs 90 being shown in association with the chain 70 in FIG. 3. Eachdog 90, as it travels around the sprocket 75, will move into engagement with the mounting bar section 30, as the section is disengaged by an elevating dog 52, as shown in FIG. 3, to then advance the mounting bar supported on the tracks 42 and 43 through the treating area at a slow rate of travel. At the exit end of the treating area, the pusher dog 90 is caused to .move upwardly by travel of the chain around the sprocket 76 and thus moves out of engagement with the mounting bar section and the disengaged workholder is permitted to reenter the high-speed path of travel, however, the exit of the mounting bar from the treating are is controlled by a pair of sprockets with a sprocket 95 on shaft 96 associated with the grouping conveyor chain length 26 and a similar sprocket on shaft 96, but not shown, being associated with the grouping conveyor chain section 45. This shaft 96 is driven at a high rate of speed through a belt drive 97 from the advancing conveyor shaft 79 whereby the teeth on the sprocket will engage in the chains 26 and 45 to cause a high rate of travel thereof, but still prevent the premature pullout of a succeeding workholder, such as workholder 253, from the treating area.

With the structure disclosed herein, it will be seen that a series of workholders can travel at a maximum spacing at a high speed through a portion of the path of travel where articles are unloaded and loaded onto the supports of the workholders, while a maximum length of treating time can be provided within the treating area by the close spacing of the workholders without contact therebetween, as permitted by the flexible interconnecting chain lengths between adjacent workholders and as caused by the pusher dogs of the advancing conveyor in the treating area. The elevating chains for the workholders which bring the workholders into the treating area in travelling about the entry sprockets 53 elevate the workholders onto the entry end of the tracks 42 and 43 and then leave each workholder for engagement by a laterally spaced pair of pusher dogs, of the advancing conveyor. As the workholder leaves the treating area, control is exercised to make certain that the reentry of the workholders into the high-speed part of the path is carried out in a controlled manner. The interconnected drive between the elevating chains and the drive means in the treating area provides timed relation of advance of workholders into the treatment area and pick up thereof by the pusher dogs of the drive means.

I claim:

1. A high-speed grouping conveyor having a plurality of workholders movable sequentially through a treating area at a slow speed and at a higher speed through the remainder of the travel path comprising, a flexible element connecting each adjacent pair of workholders to form an endless chain or the like and each element being ofa length to form a maximum spacing distance between adjacent workholders, means for advancing said endless chain at a relatively high speed with said maximum spacing distance between workholders outside the treating area, and driven means within the treating area engageable with each workholder in the treating area to maintain uniform spacing therebetween at a lesser spacing than said maximum as permitted by the flexible elements and advance said workholders at said slow speed for the desired treatment interval.

2. A high-speed grouping conveyor as defined in claim 1 wherein said driven means within the treating area comprises a chain having a series of dogs equally spaced along the length thereof and mounted for movement to bring a dog into position behind a workholder as it enters the treating area and to cause the dog to move away from the workholder as it leaves the treating area, and means for controlling the reentry of a slow-travelling workholder from the treating area to the highspeed travel path.

3. A high-speed grouping conveyor as defined in claim I wherein said advancing means includes a chain having dogs spaced along the length thereof and which engage successive workholders and move them into the treating area.

4. A high-speed grouping conveyor as defined in claim I wherein said treating area has a pair of spaced tracks with each workholder having a support bar with rollers on its ends to roll on said tracks, and a slow-driven chain having a series of spaced pusher dogs at a lesser distance apart than said maximum spacing to engage one behind each workholder and move successive workholders through said area at a slow speed and closely spaced together with said flexible elements extending in a depending loop.

5. A high-speed grouping conveyor as defined in claim 1 wherein said workholders each have two laterally spaced apart sets of vertically spaced work supports, means for feeding an article to each support in advance of said treating area, and means for discharging an article from each support beyond said treating area.

6. A high-speed grouping conveyor as defined in claim 5 wherein a dryer with air outlets is positioned in the treating area between the sets of vertically spaced work supports.

7. A high-speed grouping conveyor providing for a predetermined time of treatment in a treating area comprising, a pair of endless chains with a series of workholders pivotally connected thereto at spaced points along the length of the chains, each workholder having a mounting bar and a depending vertically spaced series of work supports, means mounting said endless chains for movement in a path including a generally horizontal stretch in the treating area and a generally vertical stretch leading to said treating area, means along said vertical stretch for advancing said chains at a high speed outside said area, and drive means driven at a slow speed in said treating area engaging a series of said mounting bars to advance closely spaced workholders through the treating area at a slow speed.

8. A high-speed grouping conveyor as defined in claim 7 wherein said treating area has a series of spaced tracks for supporting the mounting bars adjacent the ends thereof, and said drive means includes at least one endless chain movable around sprockets at opposite ends of the treating area and with a horizontal stretch therebetween and carrying spaced pusher dogs, a dog moving around one of said sprockets and into engagement behind a mounting bar, chain movement advancing the workholder, and the pusher dog leaving the workholder as the chain moves upwardly along the other sprocket.

9. A high-speed grouping conveyor as defined in claim 8 wherein the advancing means including a chain with spaced lifting dogs engageable with successive mounting bars, and a sprocket for said chain at a level above said tracks for carrying a mounting bar up and over onto said tracks.

10. A high-speed grouping conveyor as defined in claim 8 including curved track sections at the exitend of the treating area and a pair of sprockets associated with the tracks to engage said endless chains and control the rate at which the endless chains leave the treating area.

11. A high-speed grouping conveyor as defined in claim 7 wherein said advancing means along said vertical stretch comprises a chain with a series of spaced lift dogs engageable one with each of said mounting bars and a loading station for disposing articles on successive work supports that move past said loading station.

12. A high-speed grouping conveyor as defined in claim 11 wherein each workholder has a laterally spaced pair of depending vertically spaced series of work supports. 

1. A high-speed grouping conveyor having a plurality of workholders movable sequentially through a treating area at a slow speed and at a higher speed through the remainder of the travel path comprising, a flexible element connecting each adjacent pair of workholders to form an endless chain or the like and each element being of a length to form a maximum spacing distance between adjacent workholders, means for advancing said endless chain at a relatively high speed with said maximum spacing distance between workholders outside the treating area, and driven means within the treating area engageable with each workholder in the treating area To maintain uniform spacing therebetween at a lesser spacing than said maximum as permitted by the flexible elements and advance said workholders at said slow speed for the desired treatment interval.
 2. A high-speed grouping conveyor as defined in claim 1 wherein said driven means within the treating area comprises a chain having a series of dogs equally spaced along the length thereof and mounted for movement to bring a dog into position behind a workholder as it enters the treating area and to cause the dog to move away from the workholder as it leaves the treating area, and means for controlling the reentry of a slow-travelling workholder from the treating area to the high-speed travel path.
 3. A high-speed grouping conveyor as defined in claim 1 wherein said advancing means includes a chain having dogs spaced along the length thereof and which engage successive workholders and move them into the treating area.
 4. A high-speed grouping conveyor as defined in claim 1 wherein said treating area has a pair of spaced tracks with each workholder having a support bar with rollers on its ends to roll on said tracks, and a slow-driven chain having a series of spaced pusher dogs at a lesser distance apart than said maximum spacing to engage one behind each workholder and move successive workholders through said area at a slow speed and closely spaced together with said flexible elements extending in a depending loop.
 5. A high-speed grouping conveyor as defined in claim 1 wherein said workholders each have two laterally spaced apart sets of vertically spaced work supports, means for feeding an article to each support in advance of said treating area, and means for discharging an article from each support beyond said treating area.
 6. A high-speed grouping conveyor as defined in claim 5 wherein a dryer with air outlets is positioned in the treating area between the sets of vertically spaced work supports.
 7. A high-speed grouping conveyor providing for a predetermined time of treatment in a treating area comprising, a pair of endless chains with a series of workholders pivotally connected thereto at spaced points along the length of the chains, each workholder having a mounting bar and a depending vertically spaced series of work supports, means mounting said endless chains for movement in a path including a generally horizontal stretch in the treating area and a generally vertical stretch leading to said treating area, means along said vertical stretch for advancing said chains at a high speed outside said area, and drive means driven at a slow speed in said treating area engaging a series of said mounting bars to advance closely spaced workholders through the treating area at a slow speed.
 8. A high-speed grouping conveyor as defined in claim 7 wherein said treating area has a series of spaced tracks for supporting the mounting bars adjacent the ends thereof, and said drive means includes at least one endless chain movable around sprockets at opposite ends of the treating area and with a horizontal stretch therebetween and carrying spaced pusher dogs, a dog moving around one of said sprockets and into engagement behind a mounting bar, chain movement advancing the workholder, and the pusher dog leaving the workholder as the chain moves upwardly along the other sprocket.
 9. A high-speed grouping conveyor as defined in claim 8 wherein the advancing means including a chain with spaced lifting dogs engageable with successive mounting bars, and a sprocket for said chain at a level above said tracks for carrying a mounting bar up and over onto said tracks.
 10. A high-speed grouping conveyor as defined in claim 8 including curved track sections at the exit end of the treating area and a pair of sprockets associated with the tracks to engage said endless chains and control the rate at which the endless chains leave the treating area.
 11. A high-speed grouping conveyor as defined in claim 7 wherein said advancing means along said vertical stretch comprises a Chain with a series of spaced lift dogs engageable one with each of said mounting bars and a loading station for disposing articles on successive work supports that move past said loading station.
 12. A high-speed grouping conveyor as defined in claim 11 wherein each workholder has a laterally spaced pair of depending vertically spaced series of work supports. 